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In 2013, the release of Shell showcased a remarkable actress in Chloe Pirrie, but it more importantly hinted at Scott Graham, who was then debuting as a writer/director, being a significant creative force in the industry. His second feature, Iona, which is once again set in Scotland, further affirms his claim as a true auteur and bona fide artist, this time featuring in one of the Scottish Isles. On both occasions, he worked alongside the wonderful photographer Yoliswa von Dallwitz, who captures his innovative use of scope format to balance the characteristically intimate material with the larger-than-life Scottish backdrop. It is on the island archipelago of the same name where Iona, played by Ruth Negga, goes in search of her foster father, Daniel played by Douglas Henshall, a widowed man. His cinematic intuition aids him in setting the tone as we are introduced to Iona and her son Billy, played by Ben Gallacher, who seamlessly travel globally by ship, car, ferry, and even on foot. This sequence, devoid of dialogue, emphasizes the isolation of their destination.
In part, this is a portrait of a community in which religion still flourishes. Daniel himself is religious and we will soon meet his daughter Elisabeth (Michelle Duncan) together with her husband Matthew (Tom Brooke) and their 14-year-old daughter (Sorcha Groundsell in a promising debut). The latter is a girl who has lost the use of her legs, and while Matthew often carries her around, his condition does make him somewhat anxious when the girl takes a liking to Billy. In reality, there is a whole back history which adds to the reactions of Matthew and Elisabeth to the new arrivals. The playwright Henrik Ibsen was a great one for revealing more and more hidden events in the course of a drama, but even he might feel that Graham’s screenplay is too over the top with it.
Iona’s initial screening during the 2015 Edinburgh Film Festival showcased a duration of 110 minutes, but it seems that Graham favours this shorter runtime which is closer to his original cut. He could be mistaken because, in this version, the reveals regarding Iona’s past are amalgamated with some vague flashbacks that poorly explain the reason why the mother and son have relocated up north. The other cut appears to have covered this in a prologue. As it stands, the drama becomes melodramatic and over-weighted, and, even though the narrative is straightforward, the tale gets lost in the purpose it tries to accomplish. When the lights are turned back on, it is apparent the audience is left with more questions than answers. Despite the fact that there are faint traces of both Terence Davies and The Goob, Iona does show that Graham is indeed an individual filmmaker.
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